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House Of The Dead 2 & 3 for Wii - It's out! ... Now try and find a copy

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (November 15, 2007) - SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced that THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 & 3 RETURN™ is coming to the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo. Combining two arcade games, THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2™ and THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD III™, this new compilation gives gamers the full arcade experience of battling hordes of rabid zombies in the comfort of their homes.

In THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 & 3 RETURN, players will be able to play both versions of the game, battling the relentless attack of the blood thirsty zombies with steady aim and a quick trigger finger. Utilizing the innovative new Wii Zapper™ or the Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™, players will experience branching storylines with over six game modes including Arcade Mode and Time Attack modes that will test their shooting skills. THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 & 3 RETURN features an engaging single-player campaign, plus a co-op multiplayer mode for up to two players for countless hours of zombie shooting action.
"THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD franchise has been revitalized for today's gamer looking for non-stop shooting action on the Wii," said Rick Naylor, Director of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "This will take gamers back to experience the celebrated first-person arcade shooter that was so popular in the late '90s."

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD franchise is famous for its heart-pounding pace, astounding visual details and vast armies of unique enemies. Blasting through legions of grotesque zombies and mutated monsters, players eventually face-off against mammoth boss creatures that will test the accuracy and skill of every Wii gamer.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 & 3 RETURN will be available for the Wii home video game system from Nintendo in spring 2008. For more information, screenshots and assets please visit the SEGA Press FTP site at: http://segapr.segaamerica.com.

GameFly has listed House of the Dead 2 & 3 for the Wii as launching March 31, '08. After contacting Sega, Joystiq has confirmed that this game is real, though the publisher isn't ready to make the "official" announcement yet. GameFly has a good record when it comes to revealing new titles companies aren't ready to talk about, mostly due to its robotic nature of tossing up the info as soon as it comes down the supply chain. GameFly does not lie -- unless the publisher has no idea what it's doing.

Wii detractors will be quick to point out that House of the Dead 2 & 3 aren't the latest in the series (that would be HotD 4) and are considerably "last-gen" at this point. House of the Dead will join Sega's other light-gun title, Ghost Squad, and Capcom's Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles in giving purpose to the Wii Zapper. As much as getting half-decade old arcade ports makes us roll our eyes at the Wii, it's still cool to play House of the Dead without having to hunt down one of last arcades left in the States (and it's not like traditional lightguns work on our fancy HDTVs either!)

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If this is true, that pretty neat. I love House of the Dead 2 and I never had a good arcade or an X-Box to really play 3. I've only ever played one level of it. Still, if they're including 2 and 3, why not just put 1 on there as well? Has 1 ever gotten a home port? I never got to play HotD 2 on Dreamcast so I don't know if it was on there or not.

If this is true, that pretty neat. I love House of the Dead 2 and I never had a good arcade or an X-Box to really play 3. I've only ever played one level of it. Still, if they're including 2 and 3, why not just put 1 on there as well? Has 1 ever gotten a home port? I never got to play HotD 2 on Dreamcast so I don't know if it was on there or not.

If this is true, that pretty neat. I love House of the Dead 2 and I never had a good arcade or an X-Box to really play 3. I've only ever played one level of it. Still, if they're including 2 and 3, why not just put 1 on there as well? Has 1 ever gotten a home port? I never got to play HotD 2 on Dreamcast so I don't know if it was on there or not.

I believe there was a poopy saturn version.

Ah, it seems you are correct. So about 6 people played it then. I think we're overdue for another port.

Magic Pink sure it may look crappy, but I still want it. Just because at least I could set the blood to red. All the machines I find of it now have the blood set to green and that throws me off with noticing enemies and such.

This generation of systems (including handhelds) has seen the resurgence of both shmups and point-and-click adventures. If the Wii can single-handedly bring light-gun games back en vogue, then this will indeed be the Greatest Generation of Systems.

I remember playing a bit of HOTD 2 in the arcades, although not very much. I do know one thing, though: Suffer like G did?

PC and DC gamers got the best Dead game ever though. Nothing, and I mean nothing can compare with Typing of the Dead

Although this is a cool announcement. I've seen the new zapper Wii accessory, and bringing out some top shelf light-gun games like HotD will actually get me to use my Wii for more than Zelda and Metroid.

First of all, despite this being ports of last gen games, this could be very good.

#1, these are great games, and it would be great to have them on the Wii.
#2, it would make more sense and be even better if Sega followed their own precedent of discounting the price on these things -- since Ghost Squad is only $30, maybe HOTD2+3 will only be $30 on wii?

I hope so. It's the least we can ask for older ports of lightgun games. $30 would be a great deal.

I don't think Ghost Squad had a graphics upgrade of any kind.. although I think they added a bunch of content. Fortunately, they're only asking $30 for Ghost Squad, and plus, the gameplay is awesome.

I'd be equally happy with a budget-price release of a straight port as I would with a $50 release of enhanced versions of the games. I'm assuming by the description that these two games are packed together...?

This might be a good time to ask a quick question about the Zapper and lightgun games. Has there been any buzz or anything about how these new lightgun games are going to be calibrated? Does it work well, or will we end up pointing at the sensor bar?

This might be a good time to ask a quick question about the Zapper and lightgun games. Has there been any buzz or anything about how these new lightgun games are going to be calibrated? Does it work well, or will we end up pointing at the sensor bar?

Suppooosedly Ghost Squad has some kind of calibration technique.

I don't know anything beyond that.

I will know for sure once I buy this awesome game though. Other than that, though, there hasn't been any word.

I have to admit I'm disappointed that they're not doing all 4. All 4 games in the series at $30 would have been an automatic day one purchase out of me. As it is, with RE: UC, Ghost Squad, and Link's Crossbow, I'm not sure when I'd get around to picking it up if it's just 2&3.

How do HotD2 & 3 hold up? Most of my experience is with the 1st game and the 4th. How long are they (lots of alternate routes or just 1 path)? How are the visuals these days?

If you want to see visuals, you should check it out on youtube or something. IIRC, the HOTD2 was built on saturn hardware..i think.. and HOTD3 was Dreamcast hardware. So you're lookin' at last gen, and last-last gen visuals.

That's not to say that they don't have a kind of campy charm to them.

HOTD2 is like.. the definition of campiness.

HOTD3 still looks OK for a lightgun shooter if you ask me. Not amazing but okay and serviceable.

A bundle of old games like this really needs a budget price. Unless they revamp these somehow, which I would find extremely unlikely.

As far as gameplay, I think HOTD2 is highly regarded and HOTD3 is considered mediocre because of its shotgun.

HOTD4 is built on some snazzy current-gen level stuff with normal maps and stuff like that. But it does come with waggle! (you literally waggle your gun to shake off zombies) It would be a good fit for the Wii, but it's unlikely that they could directly port it; at least not without removing certain graphical effects.

If you want to see visuals, you should check it out on youtube or something. IIRC, the HOTD2 was built on saturn hardware..i think.. and HOTD3 was Dreamcast hardware. So you're lookin' at last gen, and last-last gen visuals.

That's not to say that they don't have a kind of campy charm to them.

HOTD2 is like.. the definition of campiness.

HOTD3 still looks OK for a lightgun shooter if you ask me. Not amazing but okay and serviceable.

A bundle of old games like this really needs a budget price. Unless they revamp these somehow, which I would find extremely unlikely.

As far as gameplay, I think HOTD2 is highly regarded and HOTD3 is considered mediocre because of its shotgun.

HOTD4 is built on some snazzy current-gen level stuff with normal maps and stuff like that. But it does come with waggle! (you literally waggle your gun to shake off zombies) It would be a good fit for the Wii, but it's unlikely that they could directly port it; at least not without removing certain graphical effects.

HOTD4 looked like ass judging by that youtube video...I'll check out some HD stuff if I can, but there are tonnes of slowdown, especially during the zombie glass breaking scene.

Yeah, it's kinda funny. HOTD4 has all of these normal mapping and other graphical effects, but it still nevertheless doesn't look all that great. it's like they felt the need to have this stuff... but it's not implemented very well..

I don't recall any slowdown when playign at the arcade though. But that may have been because I was concentrating so hard.

How is HotD 4 not suited for the Wiimote? There's waggling and everything!

HotD 4 is plenty suited for the Wiimote. It's not suited for the Wii itself, because it was on the very powerful Sega Lindbergh arcade hardware and would need a serious rewrite to work on the Wii's far lesser system specs.

That said, they really should make the effort, HOTD2+3 are oooooooold.

If you want to see visuals, you should check it out on youtube or something. IIRC, the HOTD2 was built on saturn hardware..i think.. and HOTD3 was Dreamcast hardware. So you're lookin' at last gen, and last-last gen visuals.

Just to clarify, HotD2 was DC hardware and HotD3 was xbox hardware, so they still hold up OK, depending on how much new-gen eyecandy you've been viewing lately.

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (November 15, 2007) - SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced that THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 & 3 RETURN™ is coming to the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo. Combining two arcade games, THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2™ and THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD III™, this new compilation gives gamers the full arcade experience of battling hordes of rabid zombies in the comfort of their homes.

In THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 & 3 RETURN, players will be able to play both versions of the game, battling the relentless attack of the blood thirsty zombies with steady aim and a quick trigger finger. Utilizing the innovative new Wii Zapper™ or the Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™, players will experience branching storylines with over six game modes including Arcade Mode and Time Attack modes that will test their shooting skills. THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 & 3 RETURN features an engaging single-player campaign, plus a co-op multiplayer mode for up to two players for countless hours of zombie shooting action.
"THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD franchise has been revitalized for today's gamer looking for non-stop shooting action on the Wii," said Rick Naylor, Director of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "This will take gamers back to experience the celebrated first-person arcade shooter that was so popular in the late '90s."

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD franchise is famous for its heart-pounding pace, astounding visual details and vast armies of unique enemies. Blasting through legions of grotesque zombies and mutated monsters, players eventually face-off against mammoth boss creatures that will test the accuracy and skill of every Wii gamer.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 & 3 RETURN will be available for the Wii home video game system from Nintendo in spring 2008. For more information, screenshots and assets please visit the SEGA Press FTP site at: http://segapr.segaamerica.com.

HOTD 2 & 3 will be a value pack at only 29.99 in one game.
Apparently Sega felt the graphics of HOTD 1 were too outdated and would take too much time to update to current standards.
2 & 3 will be straight up arcade ports with the addition of different modes (boss attack, time attack... 6 in all) and hidden modes.
Aiming circles have been added.

Here's an interesting quote, since this topic was brought up on this board at some point:

1UP: Or, alternatively, why not include HOTD4? Would that be too difficult given the Wii's graphics capabilities?

ES: Bringing HOTD4 completely would be difficult, but we don't think it's "too" difficult to deliver HOTD4 and make it enjoyable on Wii. HOTD4 runs on the excellent SEGA Lindbergh arcade board and while it's very powerful, the concern isn't how difficult it would be to port it to the Wii. SEGA has always had a history of bringing a variety of our latest arcade games faithfully to home systems.

Our feeling was that it's hard to find HOTD2 and HOTDIII in arcades nowadays, while HOTD4 is still currently available. By delivering the series to users with the new HOTD 2 & 3 Return for Wii, if users play and like this title, our hope is that they will feel compelled to go an arcade and enjoy HOTD4.